2017

Steve Denning, Forbes, is arguing that "there is only one valid definition of a business purpose: to create a customer". Denning refers to research by Alexander Ljungqvist (affiliated to IFN), Joan Farre-Mensa, and John Asker, calling their study "brilliant". The study compared the investment patterns of public companies and privately held firms.

Wonkblog Washington Post writes about a study by Niclas Berggren, Henrik Jordahl, IFN, and Panu Poutvaara, concluding that "the attractiveness of a candidate does correlate with their politics. They find that politicians on the right are more good looking in Europe, the United States and Australia".

Mail Oneline sum up a study by Niclas Berggren, Henrik Jordahl, IFN, and Panu Poutvaara: Researchers looked at politicians in Europe, the US and Australia – Their result suggest people tend to see right-wing politicians as better looking – The researchers say that being better looking tends to make you richer, and richer people are typically more opposed to policies favoured by the left.

Australian and World News writes about a study by Niclas Berggren, Henrik Jordahl, IFN, and Panu Poutvaara: "Led by Sweden's Research Institute of Industrial Economics, researchers examined the link between attractiveness and the political beliefs of those running for office."

In accordance with a study by Niclas Berggren, Henrik Jordahl, IFN, and Panu Poutvaara, The Atlantic reports that "Conservative politicians are better looking than liberal politicians on average in the United States, Europe, and Australia—and that might create an overall advantage for conservative parties".

"Nordic nations dominate the top 15, while South Korea reigns supreme and Russia is dealt a huge blow" Bloomberg writes about the 2017 Bloomberg Innovation Index, which scores economies using factors including research and development spending. Magnus Henrekson, IFN, is being interviewed, arguing that Swedes "are super individualistic", "have ideas and are very interested in pursuing them in this way in order to become wealthy”.

Ireland drops a place [Bloomberg Index] as Nordic nations dominate the top 15 most innovative countires, states Irish Times quoting Magnus Henrekson, IFN: "Fresh ideas tend to pay off big in Sweden, even as the current government is less business-friendly and has imposed labor taxes that could crimp business investment".

Arabs Today and Morocco World News features a story based on the 2017 Bloomberg Innovation Index, referring to (Bloomberg) Magnus Henrekson, IFN. Henrekson “stated that despite the labor taxes imposed by the current government in Sweden, which may have negative effects on investments, the Swedish people share a culture of personal ambition.”

Sweden climbed to second place in the 2017 Bloomberg Innovation Index, Swedish Wire notes, quoting Magnus Henrekson, IFN: "Fresh ideas tend to pay off big in Sweden, even as the current government is less business-friendly and has imposed labor taxes that could crimp business investment."

Bloomberg is writing about the proposed bank tax stating that "the Swedish Competition Authority is warning the government that a proposed 15 percent tax on payrolls risks putting banks and insurers at a competitive disadvantage compared with their peers outside Sweden." Magnus Henrekson, IFN, is quoted saying that “If there’s extreme pressure from the consultative bodies so they can show that this will create big problems,” then the government “may not do it.”

Cherwell, an student newspaper of Oxford University, writes that "despite 'scruffy' appearance, left-wing scholars are more attractive than well-groomed right-winger counterparts, psychologists say". The writer argues against a study by Niclas Berggren, IFN, and more suggesting that "attractiveness of political candidates correlated with their politics, with right-wingers supposedly found more attractive that their left counterparts".

Christian Sandström, Ratio, writes on the web page of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy (FCPP), a Canadian think tank, about "The revival of Swedish Liberalism". The text is based on a study by Magnus Henreksson and Andreas Bergh, IFN.

Based at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Journalist's Resource writes about legalization of prostitution. The writer refers to a 2013 working paper for IFN that "argues that the legalization of prostitution without regulation can encourage the spread of sex trafficking". The paper i authored by Samuel Lee and Petra Persson. The latter is affiliated to IFN).

The 2017 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research goes to Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy (ILD), in Lima, Peru. The Global Award is the most prominent international award in entrepreneurship research with a prize sum of € 100,000. IFN is one of the founders of the award.

In a blog post Diane Coyle writes about "an interesting new book, Digitalization, Immigration and the Welfare State, by Marten Blix of Sweden’s Research Institute of Industrial Economics. It brings together two deep trends, technology and immigration, in the context of the relatively rigid labour market structures of Sweden and some other European countries."

Toronto Sun writes that "Some bad ideas simply refuse to die. One of them is rent control". The paper is quoting Assar Lindbeck, IFN and Stockholm University, saying that “rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city — except for bombing.”

Gary Galles, Mises Institute, writes about special interests in politics, mentioning rent control: "It is true that rent control would benefit many current renters [...] But coming at the expense of property owners, it would progressively reduce the supply of rental housing over time." Galles quotes Assar Lindbeck, IFN and Stockholm University saying that “next to bombing, rent control seems in many cases to be the most efficient technique so far known for destroying cities.”

Financial Post's economic reporter Garry Marr writes about renewed calls for rent control in Ontario. CIBC deputy chief economist Benjamin Tal is quoting Assar Lindbeck, IFN, saying that “in many cases rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city — except for bombing.”

Enrico Rubolino and Daniel Waldenström, IFN, are quoted at Before its News from an articles published at VoxEU, about tax reforms and top incomes: "Our findings suggest that tax progressivity changes influence pre-tax income inequality."

Practitioners of economics tend to agree that rent control is a thoroughly awful idea, The Globe and Mail argues. The Candian paper refers to "Sweden’s Assar Lindbeck famously said that 'In many cases, rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city – except for bombing.'”

Raw Story writes about how to best measure the economic activity of a country. The writer argues that it is a question of capital vs. labor. He refers to research by Erik Bengtsson and Daniel Waldenström (IFN) which includes more countries than the French economist Piketty’s original analysis.

In regards to President Donald Trump's plans to reform the US tax system, San Antonio Express-News, refers to research by Daniel Waldenström, IFN: "Focusing on large, progressivity-reducing tax reforms in the 1980s and 1990s, we can show that they had a positive, increasing effect on top income shares in all the countries we studied."

In an editorial text about Toronto's housing bubble The Globe and Mail writes: "Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck [IFN] once famously described rent control as 'next to bombing, the most efficient technique known for destroying cities.' He was exaggerating, slightly."

At Voxeu.org (Centre for Economic Policy Research, CEPR's policy portal) Johanna Rickne, Stockholm University and affiliated to IFN, and more argue that democracy in Sweden has created government by competent people who are representative of all walks of life. Sweden’s inclusive meritocracy suggests that electoral democracy can help us avoid the tension between representation and competence.

Inside Investor Relations notes that the number of small cap IPOs has signfiicantly dropped. The magazine refers to research by Alexander Ljungqvist, NYU and affiliated to IFN, et al: "Small-cap IPOs have particularly fallen in numbers over the last two decades".

David Cesarini, NYU and affiliated to IFN, is part of a research team "that has uncovered novel genes and new biological routes for intelligence. The findings, reported in the latest issue of the journal Nature Genetics, signify a major advance in understanding the genetic underpinnings of intelligence".

The European media plattform Euractiv writes about a seminar organised in Brussels by Sweden’s Permanent Representation to the EU in cooperation with Lars Oxelheim, Lund University and IFN. A panel of experts discussed how lack of trust has economic and social consequences.

St. John's Telegram writes about findings by Johanna Rickne, Stockholms University and affiliated to IFN, et al. The researchers: “Our main finding is that gender quotas increase the competence of the political class in general, and among men in particular. Moreover, quotas are indeed bad news for mediocre male leaders who tend to be forced out."

Tom Ciccotta in Breitbart refers to research by Daniel Waldenström, IFN, and Olle Hammar of Uppsala University: "[...] suggests that global inequality has declined, primarily during the 2000s". Ciccotta notes that "according to the research, the main driver behind the inequality fall of the 2000s was the global income convergence between developed and developing countries".

Mathieu Bédard, Montreal Economic Institute, argues in Montreal Gazette that Montreal should not extend its rent control regulations. "Thankfully, Quebec Finance Minister Carlos Leitão has said he’s not interested in interfering with the market". Bédard quotes Assar Lindbeck, IFN and Stockholm University, saying that “Next to bombing, rent control seems in many cases to be the most efficient technique so far known for destroying cities.”

Without big changes the welfare system could buckle, and with it, Sweden’s generous culture, argues The Economist. In the article Mårten Blix, IFN, explains that Sweden's high living standards is manifested in far higher minimum wages than elsewhere in Europe.

First of the best is a study by David Cesarini et al mentioned by BrainBlogger. Cesarini works at NYU and is affiliated to IFN. "Our knowledge of specific genes involved in intelligence is very limited. New study published this month and based on the analysis of genetic data from 78,000 individuals reported 52 genes associated with intelligence, 40 of which are completely novel. Interestingly, many of these genes are also involved in determining other traits such as obesity, BMI, depressive syndromes, Alzheimer’s disease and others."

Akio Morita et al, alleged that the short-term thinking of U.S. companies would be their downfall, writes columnist Noah Smith, Bloomberg News. He mentions research by Alxander Ljungqvist, NYU and affiliated to IFN: Prof. Kaplan [...] ignores micro evidence on the short-termism question. For example, a 2014 paper by John Asker, Joan Farre-Mensa and Alexander Ljungqvist found that “compared to private firms, public firms invest substantially less and are less responsive to changes in investment opportunities.”

Magzter is writing about Jesper Roine, Uppsala University, who has written a book about research by Thomas Piketty. In this context Daniel Waldenström, IFN, is mentioned. In cooperation with Roine he "is responsible for the Swedish data on long-run income and wealth inequality used in Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century".

George Monbiot is writing about Nancy MacLean’s new book, Democracy in Stores: The Deeply History of the particular Radical Right’s Stealth Arrange for America. He is critical to the Swedish Academy and "Assar Lindbeck in 1986 awarded Adam Buchanan the particular Nobel memorial service prize meant for economics".

Alan Burdick writes in The New Yorker and more about how beauty might affect elections: "Curiously, the beauty premium seems to be of most benefit to politicians on the ideological right. Niclas Berggren, IFN, and his colleagues recently performed the head-shot test on politicians from Finland, the European Parliament, and the United States. The more attractive candidates were not only likelier to have won their elections but also likelier to lean conservative."

In an op-ed in the Nepalise news papper My Republica a study a by among other Johanna Rickne, affiliated to IFN is cited: "Economists have recently found a partial cure for the dreaded mediocrity problem in politics. The cure, the scientists argue, lies in quota system."

D. Daniel Sokol, University of Florida, Levin College of Law, refers at his blog to research by Matilda Orth, IFN, and Florin Maican, affiliated to IFN. Their findings highlight that large entrants – in the food retail market – drive productivity.

CNBC and further outlets publish a text about the argument that giving businesses a tax break will create more jobs. The author refers to research by Alexander Ljungqvist, NYU and affiliated to IFN. Analyzing the differences in state corporate tax rates the researchers found that they had little impact on job creation.

Seeking Alpha, a crowd-sourced content service for financial markets, is arguing that academic research has proven the negative relationship between GDP growth rates and debt. Research by Andreas Bergh and Magnus Henrekson, IFN, is mentioned: Government Size and Growth: A Survey and Interpretation of the Evidence found that as government size increases, GDP growth declines.

Xinhua News Agency, the official press agency of the People's Republic of China, posts on its website a text about the European welfare systems facing problems amid economic downturns. Mårten Blix, IFN, is quoted commenting on the highest salaries and the influx of refugees with low education to the Swedish labor market. "It's a very bad combination and the statistics speak its clear language."

Trump insists that slashing the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to as low as 15 percent would free up valuable cash, wrote AP – a text published in numerous media outlets. The author is refering to research by Alexander Ljungvist, NYU and affiliated to IFN, suggesting that "state corporate tax cuts did little to strengthen economic activity unless the cuts were made during a recession".

Stockholm produces the second-highest number of billion-dollar tech companies per capita, after Silicon Valley, wrote Atlantic Monthly. Lars Persson, IFN, is being interviewed stating that “Until 1991, the Swedish tax system disfavored new, small, and less capital-intensive firms while favoring large firms and institutional ownership.” In addition a study about intrapreneurship by Mikael Stenkula, IFN, is referred to in the article.

University World News has been reading Ekonomistas and a text by Danile Waldenström, IFN: "The number of administrative personnel at Swedish universities has risen seven times as fast as the number of academic staff since 2000, according to research by a Swedish professor, and they now fill nearly half of all university jobs."

Bullfax.com writes about the state of markets and the economy. A study by Alexander Ljungqvist et al, NYU and affiliatad to IFN, is presented. The researcher study when having a busy director on the board is harmful to shareholders and when it is beneficial. It shows that "having a busy director on the board is typically only going to be harmful when the firms on whose boards she serves have so little in common informationally that tight time constraints result in negative monitoring synergies".

"In Sweden, employers pay into private funds that retrain workers who lose their jobs. The model makes the whole economy more dynamic.," the Atlantic states. Andreas Bergh, IFN och Lund University, is being interviewed saying that “one of the better parts of the Swedish model is that we encourage adjustments by allowing people to enter into training programs, or move to other areas if that is what is needed to find a job".

In a text about monarchies research by Andreas Bergh, IFN, and Christian Bjørnskov, affiliated to IFN, is mentioned: they "found that social trust records are higher in monarchies, which contribute to a generally lower crime rate and lower corruption".

Wall Street Journal writet that the trade organization WTO ha become "a battelground for intense national rivalries". In the article research, and graphs from the research, by Louise Johannesson, IFN, and Petros Mavroidis is being used, stating that a growing number of disputes have landed before the WTO.

NPR is asking if cutting corporate taxes would improve the balance sheet for U.S. businesses, giving them more money to spend on jobs and investment. NPR is refering to research by Alexander Ljungqvist, NYU and affiliated to IFN, saying that he "recently tried to answer the question by looking at fluctuations in corporate tax rates at the state level".

At Vox David Seim, Stockholm University and affiliated to IFN, et al write about cuts to the employer portion of payroll taxes. The researchers show that such cuts reduced youth unemployment by 2-3 percentage points. "Firms used the tax windfall to expand employment and business activity, and firms with larger tax windfalls raised wages for workers – both young and old – collectively."

Washington’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would benefit shareholders and CEOs, not middle-class Americans, writes Howard Gold in Morningstar and more media. He quotes a study by Alexander Ljungqvist, NYU and affilaited to IFN: “We find little evidence that corporate tax cuts boost economic activity, unless implemented during recessions when they lead to significant increases in employment and income.”

Per Hjertstrand, Pehr-Johan Norbäck and Lars Persson, IFN, et al writes at Vox about subsidies to small businesses to encourage innovation. They argue that while subsidies to reduce entry costs may increase entrepreneurial entry, they can also lead to a reduction in the likelihood of ‘breakthrough’ inventions.

Foreign-born people in Sweden face a glass ceiling in local politics and are less likely to reach high-level positions even after decades in the country, new research by Jophanna Rickne, Stockholm University and affilated to IFN, shows. "We had expected representation of foreign-born people to be higher in communities where a higher proportion of the population was foreign-born, but that's not what we found," Rickne told The Local.

Ed Conway is commenting on inheritance tax in The Times. He refers to research by Mikael Elinder who is affiliated to IFN, and more: "Having dug through years of Swedish data, they found that inheritance directly reduced the wealth gini coefficient — the most widely-followed measure of inequality — by a whopping 6 per cent, about the same as the impact of a big stock market crash."

On Dec 2, US Senate passed a tax bill changing statutory corporate tax rate (CTR) from 35 to 20 percent, The Jakarta Post writes asking if the tax cut will affect growth: " [...] there is little evidence that corporate tax cut boosts economic activity unless implemented during recession, when they lead to significant increases in employment and income, according to economists Alexander Ljungqvist (NYU and affiliated to IFN) and Michael Smolyansky in a 2016 paper."

In much of the world people are increasingly anxious about a coming wave of unemployment because of automation, writes The Economic Times. "There's a risk that the social contract could crack," said Mårten Blix, IFN, to The Economic Times and more outlets.

"There's a risk that the social contract could crack," said Marten Blix, an economist at the Research Institute of Industrial Economics in Stockholm.

The authors of this book, Niklas Elert, Magnus Henrekson and Mikael Stenkula, advise the economies of the European Union to become more entrepreneurial in promoting innovation and economic growth. The authors propose a reform strategy with respect to several aspects to achieve this goal.